I’ve taught painting for a lot of years. The most common question in painting classes is not about brushes, mediums, or even color. It’s some variation on, “Is this right?”
Usually it sounds like something else: “Does this look okay?” “Are my values off?” “Should I fix this?” “What am I doing wrong?” But the heart of it is that the student is asking for reassurance. Is he or she succeeding or failing? That’s a completely human impulse, and a question I frequently ask myself. Painting is vulnerable work. We’re making a series of visible decisions, and every one of them feels like it could expose us as failures.
In the context of a painting class, asking for validation is okay, since you’re there to learn how to make those assessments. But eventually we all have to start painting on our own. That requires learning to critique ourselves. That’s the only way we fully develop our own judgment.
It’s helpful to shift the question. Instead of asking, “Is this right?” ask, “What problem am I trying to solve?”
Start with painting fundamentals
What is your painting about? Is it about primarily about light? Rhythm? Stillness? Energy? Kaleidoscopic color? After all, if you can’t articulate what the painting is about, you can’t evaluate whether it’s working.
When I teach painting critique I ask my students which two elements of design they’re most interested in discussing. That’s another way of asking what is important.
What are you trying to do in this painting?
Let’s say you were trying to show the power of early morning light (the so-called Golden Hour). It makes sense to start by looking at the value structure. Does it support drama? Are the darks dark enough? Are there a clear, compelling focal points?
On the other hand, if you’re trying to depict a sense of calm repose, then we would look at symmetry, edges, shapes and movement. Sharp contrasts, extreme asymmetry and fragmentation might work well in another painting, but they would undermine a sense of stillness.
In other words, is your painting in alignment with your goals?
Some of this is inherent. I’m a person with a lot of mental fizz. It would never even occur to me to paint calm repose. Conversely, my friend Naomi Aho’s work is very meditative. That doesn’t mean that we can’t reach in the opposite direction, but we all bring our personalities to our work—and that’s a good thing.
(The main goal of teaching, by the way, should never be to create mini-mes. It’s to help students master the processes of painting and criticism so that their inner voice can shine through.)
Painting fundamentals
- Do the value and color patterns read well from across the room? Are the major shapes clear and organized?
- Is there a dominant idea? Is that clear?
- Is there enough detail to continue to interest us as we get up close?
If those are working, small ‘errors’ won’t ruin the painting. Students sometimes confuse mastery with perfection. In painting, more than almost anywhere else, perfect is the enemy of good. Besides learning good technique, mastery is a question of knowing what matters.
Are you stuck?
When you feel the urge to ask someone for advice or validation, hesitate. Instead, write one sentence about your painting: “This painting is about ______.”
Then step back and ask yourself if what you’ve done supports that goal. If the answer is yes, keep going. If the answer is no, stop flailing and fix what’s broken. Then and only then, if it doesn’t work, look elsewhere for help.
Registration is now open for workshops in 2026! Reserve your spot:
- Advanced Plein Air Painting | Rockport, ME, July 13-17, 2026
- Sea & Sky | Acadia National Park, ME, August 2–7, 2026
- Find your Authentic Voice in Plein Air | Berkshires, MA, August 10-14, 2026
- New! Color Clinic 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 3-4, 2026
- New! Composition Week 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 5-9, 2026
Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:
Yes, food for thought.